Wrongful death
Help for Boise families after a wrongful death
Callan Injury Law is a personal injury law firm in Boise, Idaho, that helps families after a loved one dies because of someone else's carelessness. Attorney Nora Callan handles the legal work, the insurers and the deadlines, so your family can focus on each other. You can call when you are ready. The first conversation is free.
When you are ready
When should a family talk to a lawyer after a death?
We are so sorry for your loss. There is no right time to call. Some families call weeks or months later, once the first shock has passed. Others call sooner because an insurer has already been in touch.
Idaho sets deadlines for these claims, often 2 years from the date of the death, and some claims have shorter notice deadlines. A first conversation can help you understand your family's timeline, even if you decide nothing yet.
What a first call with us is like
- There is no cost and no obligation
- One family member can call for everyone
- We can meet at your home, or by phone or video
- Nothing moves forward until your family says so
The claim
What is a wrongful death claim, and who may bring one in Idaho?
A wrongful death claim is a civil claim brought when a person dies because of another person's or a company's careless or wrongful act. A civil claim asks for money to make up for a loss, and it is separate from any criminal case.
Close family members
Idaho law lets certain close family members bring a wrongful death claim. This often includes a spouse and children, and in some cases parents or others who depended on the person. Who qualifies depends on your family's situation.
The personal representative
A personal representative is the person a court appoints to manage the estate of someone who has died. In some cases the personal representative brings the claim on behalf of the family. We explain which applies to yours.
What we take on
What does Callan Injury Law handle so your family does not have to?
Grief takes all the energy a family has. We take on the legal work and keep you informed through people you know by name.
We help families after fatal car, truck and motorcycle crashes and after deaths caused by unsafe property, in Boise and across the Treasure Valley.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
- Calls and letters from every insurance company
- Gathering the police report, medical records and other records
- Working with the estate's probate lawyer, if there is one
- Tracking every deadline, including any shorter notice deadline
- Documenting funeral costs, medical bills and lost income and support
- Explaining every offer in plain words before the family decides
What a claim may include
What can a wrongful death claim cover in Idaho?
In general terms, a claim may ask for money for the losses your family has suffered. Which losses apply depends on the facts and on Idaho law.
Funeral and burial costs
The reasonable costs of the funeral, burial or cremation.
Medical bills
Medical care for the final injury, from the ambulance to the hospital.
Lost income and support
The income, support and household help the person would have provided.
Loss of companionship
The loss of the love, care, guidance and company the family shared.
Estate questions
What happens with the estate and probate?
Probate is the court process for settling a person's estate after they die. The estate is everything the person owned and owed.
Some money from a wrongful death claim may belong to family members directly, and some may need to pass through the estate. How it is divided can depend on Idaho law, the family and any will.
Callan Injury Law does not handle probate itself. We work alongside the estate's probate lawyer, or can suggest one, so the 2 pieces fit together.
Questions we help families sort out
- Does someone need to be appointed personal representative?
- Who needs to sign the papers?
- How do unpaid medical bills affect a recovery?
- How might any recovery be divided?
Questions
What do families ask us?
This website is for general information and is not legal advice. Every family's situation is different. For advice about your own situation, call (208) 555-0132.
How long does a family have to file a wrongful death claim in Idaho?
Idaho sets deadlines for wrongful death claims, often 2 years from the date of the death, and some claims have shorter notice deadlines, such as claims against a government body. We can tell you which deadline applies to your family.
Does a criminal case against the driver affect our claim?
A criminal case and a wrongful death claim are separate. The state brings the criminal case. The family's claim asks for money for the family's losses. The 2 can move forward at the same time, and evidence from one may help the other.
Will our family have to go to court?
Not always. Many wrongful death claims are resolved without a trial. We prepare each case as if it could go to court, and the family decides whether to accept any offer, after we explain it in plain words.
What does it cost to hire you for a wrongful death claim?
Nothing up front. Callan Injury Law works on a contingency fee, which is a percentage of any recovery, agreed in writing before work begins. The agreement also explains how case costs are handled. Read how our fees work.
What if our loved one was partly at fault?
Idaho uses a modified comparative fault rule. A claim may still be possible if your loved one's share of the blame was less than the other side's, and any recovery is reduced by that share. We look at the facts with you, gently and honestly.
Related practice areas
What other injury cases does Callan Injury Law handle?
Many of the families we help lost someone in a crash. See all practice areas
Car accidents
Crashes with careless, distracted or impaired drivers.
Car accident claimsTruck accidents
Crashes involving semi trucks and commercial vehicles.
Truck accident claimsMotorcycle accidents
When a rider or passenger was hit by a driver who did not look.
Motorcycle claimsHow our fees work
No fee up front. Our fee is a percentage of any recovery, agreed in writing before work begins.
Read about feesA private conversation
Talk with us when you are ready
Call, text or send the form, whichever feels easiest. A real person on our team will reply within 1 business day. The first conversation is free and private, with no obligation.
Tell us what happened
Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send confidential information until we have agreed to represent you.
Thanks, we'll be in touch shortly.
If it's urgent, call us at (208) 555-0132.